'Family' of helpers readies to feed S.J.

STOCKTON - If you wandered into St. Mary's Dining Room on Thursday, you'd quickly be hit by two strong impressions:

Kevin Parrish

STOCKTON - If you wandered into St. Mary's Dining Room on Thursday, you'd quickly be hit by two strong impressions:

The home-like atmosphere and the army of volunteers working hard to make Thanksgiving Day feel that way.

"A lot times it is not just the meal, but the socialization," Chief Executive Officer Edward Figueroa said. "It is about other people and creating a welcoming and safe atmosphere. We're almost family."

The Thanksgiving holiday ushers in the busiest time of the year for food banks, pantries and homeless shelters across San Joaquin County.

"The everyday face of hunger has changed so much," said Jessica Vaughan, community development director for Manteca-based Second Harvest Food Bank. "We're seeing families, seniors and singles who can't make ends meet. They get stuck in not-so-great situations."

Second Harvest is a distributor for San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, helping more than 35,000 people each month and partnering with 190 nonprofit agencies. The food bank gives out 1 million pounds of food every month.

"The projected need for Thanksgiving has increased by 700 in the last four days," Vaughan said. "We had a goal of 3,500 frozen turkeys. That's now 4,200. I don't know if it's the highest ever, but it is higher than normal for Thanksgiving."

Community needs are increasing everywhere.

The Salvation Army's assistance program in Stockton is adapting to those changes. This year, the organization hopes to distribute 250 dinner gift boxes, complete with a whole turkey.

"A lot of people are asking for help. A turkey lasts longer than one meal," Salvation Army Captain Cristian Sibaja said. "We want to get the right veggies and the right food for people - a complete meal for the family.

"Believe me, we are seeing all kinds of people."

Over the summer months, the Salvation Army in Stockton was handing out 187 food baskets monthly. In September and October, the average jumped to 357 food baskets.

The agency's annual giveaway is Tuesday.

The county's largest Thanksgiving distribution takes place in a hidden part of downtown Stockton at the Emergency Food Bank, an operation that relies on community generosity to meet the needs of the homeless, jobless and working poor.

Also on Tuesday, the line along West Scotts Avenue will be well-formed before dawn. By 1 p.m., more than 2,000 people will have received all they need for a Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings.

The food bank is still short of turkeys, but residents can help with a last-minute push this weekend.

For the past 15 years, the San Joaquin Regional Transit District has held a Stuff the Bus food drive. The collections started Friday. It is being conducted at three locations this year:

Faith-based groups countywide also are reaching out and feeding the hungry this Thanksgiving. One of the largest such undertakings - 1,000 meals served - is First Baptist Church's annual outreach at the adjacent Cleveland Elementary School.

At St. Mary's, Figueroa sees a lot of "regulars" among the hundreds who show up on Thanksgiving and a sea of new faces each year.

"We do continue to see families in increasing numbers," he said. "At Thanksgiving, we often think of the children. The flip side is our growing senior population. We see so many seniors relying on services such as ours."

Figueroa also said that the most grateful people, those who understand the "essence of this holiday," are those being served by the inner-city, interfaith ministry.

"One of best feelings in the world is how many of them say 'Thank you,' " he said. "It is so rewarding. It makes us want to continue. I've been here 17 years, and there are individual volunteers whose kids have grown up doing this, and now they are carrying on the family tradition.

"Those volunteers could be home watching football. Instead, they are here making a difference for someone else. At the end of an incredible, exhausting day, we walk out of here realizing there is hope for humanity."